Embracing complexity in international forest governance: a way forward

This policy brief summarizes the key messages of the GFEP report “Embracing complexity: Meeting the challenges of international forest governance” and reaches out to international as well as national policymakers and other stakeholders.

Following key messages are highlighted:

• International forest governance is complex and fragmented.
• Many critical forest problems are cross-sectoral.
• Complex forest problems require synergistic approaches involving a wide range of policy instruments.
• The forest governance challenge is to move from a focus on forests towards the concept of ‘forests+’, which embraces inter-sectoral and inter-institutional complexity.
• Forests+ approaches will build on a better understanding of actors’ interests, ideas and incentives in complex environments.
• Forests+ will be coordinated by learning instruments, involving the development of new policy learning and engagement platforms.
• Forests+ calls for more inclusive governance.
• The nature of a forests+ approach will vary according to national capacities and policy styles.
• Spatial scale is important for forests+.
• New or adapted institutional arrangements are needed to strengthen and coordinate forest policy learning at the global level and to support engagement and problem solving among diverse stakeholders.

PDFs for download

• Download English version (PDF, 2.0 MB)
• Download French version (PDF, 2.1 MB)
• Downlaod Spanish version (PDF, 2.0 MB)